


Bad Timing

by sanctum_c



Series: Renegade Endless Summer 2019 [4]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Aerith's Moving Castle, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Costa del Sol (Compilation of FFVII), Hell House, Multi, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-24 02:40:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23069107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: The Hell House arrives in Costa del Sol with perhaps not the best timing
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Series: Renegade Endless Summer 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653427
Kudos: 15





	Bad Timing

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Costa del Sol'

Despite all Aeris's plans, the Hell House arrived in Costa del Sol in the middle of the night. Her initial rush onto the beach lasted all of a few moments before rushing back inside the house shivering. Tifa could not help a smile. “What time did you think it was?”

Aeris huffed. “So maybe I don’t remember quite right. I thought this place was hot all day.” Too late, or perhaps too early for the town’s night-life. The houses and shops were dark; a few lights on in the inn but no movement. The waves crashed against the shore, the night-sky clear. “I suppose this is better.” She pushed the door closed. “So much less complicated than arriving by daylight.”

“That saving of two seconds between ‘Is that a house walking towards us’ and ‘I don’t remember that place being there yesterday’ saves us so much.” Cloud was undoing the bungie cords and webbing holding everything in place for transit. Aeris stuck her tongue out at him.

“Is the house going to be okay?” Tifa patted the nearest wall. “I know she’s durable, but what if the air’s too hot for her?”

Nothing a concern before. Easy to overlook the other sentience in the odd group travelling together. The house coped fine in and around Midgar, near the Chocobo Farm, Fort Condor, Junon. Costa del Sol posed a different kind of challenge. “Have to keep an eye on her. Maybe get some air-conditioning.”

Tifa winced. “Bit dramatic. Don’t you remember how long it took to settle her after we ran the power-cables to the shop and the bar?”

“Oh not like that” Aeris hugged Tifa. “You can get those ones that fit into windows. Really don’t want to drill more holes at this point.”

“As long as it works.” She sighed. “This wasn’t- Um.” Tifa gestured futilely. “-not intended for this climate?” She scrunched her face up.

“The nomenclature is a problem,” Cloud called from somewhere in the back.

“’Nomenclature’.” Aeris blinked. “He has been reading more hasn’t he?”

Tifa grinned. “Yeah. Not convinced he had much chance before. Now everything’s settled. He’s enjoying it.” She shook her head. “Point was; this is not a house for this climate. It’s going to get super-hot if we’re not careful.”

“Fans, air-conditioners- At least we’re prepared if we head North at any point.” Aeris slid her arm around Tifa’s waist. “Liking the sound of that; cuddled up, hot chocolate, staring out at the snow.”

“And no customers.” Tifa smiled regardless. “Icicle Inn is not exactly a population centre.”

“Details, details. I want my picturesque winter solstice time with both of you.”

Tifa bit back another smile. “We’ll work on getting you it.”

Aeris kissed her cheek. “Yay!” She clapped her hands. “Now; is there much we need in the morning? I wanted to see what the local fauna is like, but I can do a run to the market-“ She blinked. “That’s still here, right?”

“We never had much chance or need to come back here – even if that real estate guy was so eager to offload that mansion.” Tifa shrugged.

An idea. No. “Even if we could detach the foundations, something like that would never-“ She cut off her murmurings. A raised eyebrow from Tifa. “An idle thought!”

“Cloud?” Tifa called out. “Aeris wants to attach that mansion you almost bought to the house.”

“Stop that.” No rancour in her words; teasing was common amongst the trio.

Cloud re-appeared from the expanded kitchen. “The mansion? Well. The back wall would need to be reinforced, and I think we’d need to feed the house a load more. Might have to change the shop locations to maintain balance and-“ He blinked. “That was a joke. A joke, right?”

“An idle speculation.” She kissed his nose. “Plus I suspect the price has gone back up now the world is no longer in imminent danger of being over.” She patted the wall. “I like her just the way she is.” She fumbled in a drawer and came back with a notepad. “I plan on getting up with the sun, so if there’s anything we need – preferably things I can actually carry, just let me know.”

A brief shopping list made up; new flowers; some spirits for the bar; tar for the house. A few more quick jobs until the house settled to rest. The next morning held the promise of hot sun and crystalline seas. And circumstances willing, there would be ample opportunity to revisit the beach before Aeris needed to open her flower shop.


End file.
